2015 September - Pro Football Rumors

Giants, Eli Manning Agree To Extension

September 12th, 2015 at 9:02am CST by Zachary Links

SATURDAY, 9:02am: The deal is official, the team announced on their website. A couple of notable quotes from the release:

“It wasn’t something that I worried about getting done,” Manning said. “In the last couple of weeks, when it was close to getting done, there were a few little things that held it up a little bit. It’s not a distraction, but it’s something that has to be dealt with. I’m excited that I can start thinking about football completely.

“Once the talks got going and we were very close, I definitely wanted to try to get it done before the season, so I could just think about football. Even though I tried not to make it a distraction, it’s still around. You have to talk to your agent, and you’re getting updates and you’re dealing with the media.”

The quarterback wasn’t the only one relieved to have completed the deal.

“I’m glad we were able to get this done, so we all can focus on winning football games,” general manager Jerry Reese said.

“I think that there would be no doubt for all of us to have that behind us,” said head coach Tom Coughlin, “particularly Eli and his family, to have that behind them and no longer have questions about that every day or every time he appears. I think that’s a good thing.”

FRIDAY, 10:06am: The Giants and Manning have reached an agreement, reports Chris Mortensen of ESPN (Twitter link). According to Mortensen, the team agreed to include a no-trade clause, while Ralph Vacchiano of the New York Daily News tweets that the deal features a $31MM signing bonus.. Manning will sign the contract today, per Rapoport (via Twitter).

THURSDAY, 4:46pm: Manning’s deal will be four years, $84MM with $65MM guaranteed, but specifics still need to be worked out between both sides, Dan Graziano of ESPN.com tweets. It is expected that the extension will include a no-trade clause, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.

The last major holdup is whether Manning’s guaranteed money will have offset language, Mike Florio of PFT tweets.

4:05pm: The Giants and Eli Manning are finalizing a four-year, $84MM extension, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). The deal could be signed tomorrow as there are just a few details to be ironed out.

Previous reports have indicated that the two sides were likely to get something done before the official start of the Giants’ season. Earlier today, Adam Schefter of ESPN.com reported that a new deal for Eli would likely net him north of $20MM. Now, it sounds like he’ll be taking in a healthy AAV of $21MM.

For his part, Manning has mostly avoided discussing his contract, which expires at season’s end, suggesting that his focus is on football. But the two-time Super Bowl MVP recently addressed the issue on New York radio.

“I’m not a big fan of negotiations going on during the season,” Manning said. “I’m hoping if this thing is going to get done, it’s going to get done very quickly … and not have these talks continue on.”

Last month, a report suggested that Manning’s agent, Tom Condon, was seeking to make the Giants signal caller the highest-paid player in the NFL. Days later, Manning vehemently denied making any such demand and his soon-to-be-signed extension might be a sign of that.

Rather than the $22MM AAV that Aaron Rodgers has, this reported deal would put him shoulder-to-shoulder with Philip Rivers, who inked a four-year, $84MM extension this summer. In addition to Rivers, Ryan Tannehill, Cam Newton, and Ben Roethlisberger are among the signal-callers who have signed new deals in 2015 averaging between $19-22MM per year.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Workout Notes: 9/12/15

September 12th, 2015 at 8:51am CST by Ben Levine

The Chiefs worked out former seventh-round pick Cam Johnson, reports Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle (via Twitter). The linebacker spent the previous three seasons with the Colts, compiling five tackles in 13 appearances. A 49ers draft pick in 2012, Johnson was waived by Indy last week.

Let’s check out some more audition notes from around the league. All links are via Wilson, unless noted otherwise…

The Jaguars worked out wideout Shaq Evans and quarterbacks Shane Carden and McLeod Bethel-Thompson. Carden, an undrafted rookie, inked a deal with the Bears following the draft. Meanwhile, Bethel-Thompson, an undrafted rookie in 2011, is still looking to make his NFL debut (Twitter link).
The Packers auditioned a group of players: receivers Issac Blakeney, Titus Davis, and Marcus Lucas, defensive ends Nordly Capi and Derrick Lott, linebacker Jeff Luc, and quarterback Donovan Porterie (Twitter link).

Extra Points: Panthers, Chargers, Browns

September 11th, 2015 at 9:04pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Panthers locked up star linebacker Luke Kuechly to a long-term deal Thursday, but it doesn’t appear that teammate and fellow defensive linchpin Josh Norman will receive similar treatment. Negotiations between the Panthers and the cornerback stalled this week, reports Joseph Person of The Charlotte Observer. Because general manager Dave Gettleman doesn’t negotiate new deals during the season, Norman looks poised to play out 2015 as a contract year.

Norman, whom the Panthers took in the fifth round of the 2012 draft, is coming off a season in which he totaled 48 tackles and a career-best two interceptions. More impressively, Norman held opposing quarterbacks to a paltry 53.2 rating when they attacked him, according to Pro Football Focus (subscription required). That ranked fourth out of the 70 corners who played at least 50 percent of their teams’ defensive snaps in 2014.

Here’s more from around the NFL:

San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer set a Friday deadline for the city and the Chargers to agree on a new stadium that would keep the team from heading to Los Angeles next year. The two sides failed to meet it, according to Elliot Spagat of The Associated Press. That means there won’t be time for a measure to be put to voters on a Jan. 12 ballot, which Faulconer wanted. It seems, then, that the Chargers’ potential relocation to L.A. is becoming likelier.
The Browns finished last season in a tie for the league’s third-lowest yards-per-carry average, and they’re still without an obvious solution at running back. Current starter Isiah Crowell, who averaged 4.1 per carry and scored eight touchdowns in 2014, thinks he can fill the role. “I’m ready,” he said, according to Nate Ulrich of Ohio.com. “I always knew I had what it takes.” Offensive coordinator John DeFilippo added, “Nothing has shown to me that Crow can’t be that workhorse for us.”
Like Cleveland, the Cowboys also lack a top-end running back. They had the league’s rushing champion last season in DeMarco Murray, but he signed with Philadelphia in the offseason. So, Dallas will try to replace him with a committee consisting of Joseph Randle, Darren McFadden, Lance Dunbar and Christine Michael. Owner Jerry Jones is optimistic about the quartet. “If they are healthy, I will take the skill and what they can bring to our offense,” he said, per Eric Prisbell of USA Today.
Rookie free agent quarterback Phillip Sims will work out for the Seahawks on Monday, reports ESPN’s Adam Caplan (via Twitter). Simms, whom NFC West rival Arizona released last week, went undrafted out of Winston-Salem State this year.

AFC Notes: Von, Texans, Browns, Pats

September 11th, 2015 at 7:45pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Broncos linebacker Von Miller is a rarity – a star from the 2011 draft class who hasn’t yet signed a mega-extension, writes Mike Klis of 9News.

Miller, who went second overall, has piled up 49 sacks in 56 regular-season games, three Pro Bowl bids and a pair of All-Pro selections. While he’s had to watch as fellow draft class members Cam Newton, Marcell Dareus, A.J. Green and J.J. Watt have signed huge deals, Miller isn’t concerned.

“I’d like to think that the way I handle stuff, I handle stuff a whole lot different than a normal guy would. I’m good,” he said.

The Broncos are currently maxed out on their 2015 payroll and won’t be able to extend Miller until next offseason, according to Klis, so Miller will have to wait a little longer for his colossal payday. In the meantime, Miller’s in a contract year and will look to build on last season’s 14-sack output.

Here’s more from the AFC:

The Texans won’t be particularly adventurous with their two-point conversion usage this year, head coach Bill O’Brien told Jeff Adams of the Houston Chronicle. “As far as going for two, we probably don’t think much about it much until the fourth quarter unless it’s something that an oddity comes up during the game and we feel like we have to do that.”
Browns head coach Mike Pettine is confident that recently released Terrelle Pryor will turn into a quality NFL receiver, but the timing wasn’t right in Cleveland. “The fact is that [Pryor] wasn’t [healthy] and that he was not prepared at this point to be a viable productive member,” Pettine said, according to Nate Ulrich of the Akron Beacon Journal. “I’m not saying that he never will be. I’m very confident that he will be knowing his work ethic. Knowing his skill set, he will be. Like I said, it’s timing and it’s circumstances.”
The Patriots worked out a linebacker, Darius Eubanks, and two defensive backs, Tay Glover-Wright and Joel Ross, on Friday (Twitter link via Mike Reiss of ESPNBoston.com).

Pats’ Dominique Easley Has Hip Pointer

September 11th, 2015 at 6:35pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The Patriots’ defense may have avoided a significant blow in Thursday’s 28-21 win over the Steelers. The injury which caused lineman Dominique Easley to exit in the first quarter is a hip pointer that should only keep him out a week or two, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter link).

New England is counting on Easley, a second-year man, to help replace longtime run-stopping stalwart Vince Wilfork – who signed with the Texans in the offseason. The Patriots struggled to slow down the Steelers’ ground attack with and without Easley on Thursday, allowing 134 yards on just 25 carries. Nearly all of those yards – 127, to be exact – were accumulated by DeAngelo Williams, who amassed 21 carries.

Injuries have long been an issue for Easley, who tore the ACL in both of his knees during his college career at Florida (in 2011 and ’13, respectively). Nonetheless, the Patriots used a first-round pick in the 2014 draft on Easley, whose rookie season was subsequently cut short because of yet another knee injury. He ended up playing in 11 games, totaling 10 tackles and a sack. So far, his attempt to stay healthy and fill a bigger role with the 2015 Pats isn’t off to an auspicious start.

Minor NFL Transactions: 9/11/15

September 11th, 2015 at 6:12pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

Today’s minor moves:

The Titans reached an injury settlement with linebacker Zaviar Gooden and subsequently placed him on waivers, according to Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (Twitter link).
The Bills reached an injury settlement with receiver Deonte Thompson, who was previously on IR, per ESPN’s Mike Rodak (Twitter link).
The Texans reached injury settlements with linebackers Lynden Trail and Tony Washington, both of whom were on injured reserve (Twitter link via Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle).
The Bengals waived linebacker Jayson DiManche and fullback Mark Weisman from injured reserve, according to ESPN’s Coley Harvey (via Twitter). DiManche got an injury settlement.
The Jaguars signed third-year long snapper Carson Tinker to a contract extension that will keep him in Jacksonville for the next four seasons, reports Hays Carlyon of Jacksonville.com.

IK Enemkpali Suspended Four Games

September 11th, 2015 at 5:44pm CST by Luke Adams

FRIDAY, 5:44 pm: The league could have suspended Enemkpali for six games, but it was reduced to four and Enemkpali then opted against an appeal, Rapoport tweeted. Enemkpali’s reps issued a statement Friday (Twitter link comes courtesy of Fox Sports’ Mike Garafolo):

“Upon learning of the NFL’s originally proposed suspension, we contacted them and requested a conference. As a result of the conference, the suspension was reduced to 4 games which will commence immediately. We have discussed all of IK’s options with him and he has decided not to appeal the 4 game suspension. IK wants to put this matter behind him as quickly as possible and focus on playing football. He is very appreciative of the confidence that the Bills and Coach Ryan have shown him and does not want this matter to be a further distraction for him or his teammates. He just signed to the Bills 53 man roster and can’t wait to become a productive member of the team.”

THURSDAY, 5:53pm: Enemkpali will be suspended for the first four games of the season, according to The Associated Press.

THURSDAY, 10:50am: The NFL is leaning toward suspending outside linebacker IK Enemkpali for at least four games, and up to six games, for breaking Geno Smith’s jaw in the locker room when he was with the Jets, says Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (Twitter links). According to Rapoport, Enemkpali is appealing the suspension, which will be for a violation of the league’s personal conduct policy.

After being cut by the Jets and claimed off waivers by the Bills, Enemkpali was cut by Buffalo during the team’s reduction to 53 players. However, he landed back on the Bills’ practice squad, and continues to practice with the team this week while his suspension is under appeal.

Enemkpali only saw the field sparingly in his rookie season, playing 40 defensive snaps and contributing a little on special teams as well. Rex Ryan, heading into his first season as the head coach in Buffalo, held the same position in New York a year ago when the Jets used a sixth-round pick to draft Enemkpali out of Louisiana Tech. Ryan cited Enemkapli’s character and took responsibility for the roster move when he and the Bills claimed the 24-year-old off waivers.

Bengals Sign A.J. Green To Extension

September 11th, 2015 at 5:15pm CST by Luke Adams

5:15pm: Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio has the full details of Green’s deal with Cincy. Green will get a $15MM roster bonus, with all money paid out by Jan. 31, 2016. His base salaries: $11.75MM in 2015, $3.8MM in 2016, $10.3MM in 2017, $10.55MM in 2018, $11.976MM in 2019. Green will be eligible for a $200,000 workout bonus in both 2016 and ’19. He’ll also receive a $6MM roster bonus if he’s on the active roster come the third day of the 2016 league year.

1:21pm: The Bengals have made it official, announcing that Green has been extended through the 2019 season (Twitter link).

12:20pm: With a late-afternoon deadline looming, the Bengals and A.J. Green will beat the clock, according to Jim Owczarski of the Cincinnati Enquirer, who reports (via Twitter) that the two sides have agreed to a contract extension. Green becomes the latest star wideout to receive a new deal this summer, in the wake of extensions for Demaryius Thomas, Dez Bryant, Julio Jones and T.Y. Hilton.

According to Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (via Twitter), Green’s extension will be a four-year deal worth $60MM, which would give him an average annual salary of $15MM. That figure likely doesn’t include his 2015 salary of $10.176MM, which would bring the total value of his next five years to about $70MM, and we’ll have to wait for further details to find out whether $60MM represents the base value or max value. But it appears Green did very well, exceeding the $14MM-per-year salaries that Thomas and Bryant landed.

Owczarski wrote yesterday that, while the Bengals were willing to meet that $14MM+ benchmark in terms of annual salary, the guaranteed money involved in the agreement may be a sticking point. Cincinnati is typically reluctant to give out significant guaranteed money on contract extensions, with even quarterback Andy Dalton getting a modest $17MM guarantee on his new $96MM deal last year.

It will be interesting to see what portion of Green’s new pact is fully guaranteed up front, and how much is guaranteed for injury only. Rapoport tweets that the Bengals “stepped up with significant first-year money” in order to make up for not guaranteeing as much. The club traditionally doesn’t do full guarantees beyond the first year of a contract, and Green’s fifth-year option for 2015 had already been guaranteed.

The fourth overall pick out of Georgia in 2011, Green has made four consecutive Pro Bowls since entering the league. After catching 97 balls in 2012 and 98 in 2013, he was slowed down last year with injuries, finishing with 1,041 yards and six touchdowns on 69 receptions. With the 2015 season about to get underway, the 27-year-old looks healthy and poised for a big year, so it wasn’t surprising that the Bengals wanted to get something done before Week 1.

The star wideout had said earlier in the summer that he’d be willing to play out the final year of his rookie contract, while the team seemed more eager to work something out this year. If he hadn’t agreed to an extension in 2015, Green would have been a strong candidate for the franchise tag in the winter, at which time the two sides would have re-engaged in negotiations on a multiyear deal.

Instead, the Bengals will have Green locked up through the 2019 season, at which point he’ll be eligible for free agency again. If Green’s contract expires after ’19 without a second extension in place, he’d be eligible to hit the open market at age 31.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Pats Cleared Of Headset-Related Wrongdoing

September 11th, 2015 at 5:03pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

The NFL has cleared the Patriots of any wrongdoing related to the headset issues the opposing Steelers had in Gillette Stadium during Thursday night’s opener.

“The Patriots had nothing to do with it. The issue was promptly resolved and there were no further problems,” the league said, according to Albert Breer of NFL.com (Twitter link).

A league spokesman added that the problems the Steelers had with their headsets during their 28-21 loss were “entirely attributable to an electrical issue made worse by the inclement weather,” per Breer (via Twitter). The league will next “determine if there are technical steps that can be taken to avoid similar problems,” Breer tweeted.

Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin was frustrated with his team’s headset issues Thursday and made it clear after the game. “That’s always the case,” he said, implying that the Steelers had previously dealt with communication problems in New England. However, the Steelers opted not to file a formal complaint with the league.

NFC West Notes: Chancellor, Rams, 49ers

September 11th, 2015 at 4:43pm CST by Connor J. Byrne

A look at the latest regarding the NFC West:

There’s nothing new to report regarding star safety Kam Chancellor‘s holdout, according to Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll (Twitter link via The Seattle Times’ Bob Condotta). “We all want Kam here,” said Carroll. Chancellor is poised to miss Seattle’s opener against St. Louis on Sunday.
Prior to signing with Oakland on Friday, outside linebacker Aldon Smith drew interest from a handful of teams. The Rams weren’t among his serious suitors, according to Jim Thomas of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (Twitter link). While the Rams discussed Smith internally, Thomas added that they never contacted the 25-year-old (via Twitter).
Speaking of Smith, his ex-teammates and coaches in San Francisco don’t harbor any ill will toward him after his tenure with the 49ers ended because of off-field issues. “I’m really happy for him. He’s a guy that I had great experience with,” said defensive coordinator Eric Mangini, according to Daniel Brown of the San Jose Mercury News. Added linebacker Eli Harold, who is tasked with trying to replace Smith, “Everyone deserves a second chance. I’m happy for him.”
The 49ers’ Ahmad Brooks, another linebacker beset by off-field problems, will be a full go for the team’s opener against Minnesota on Monday. “I don’t expect any restrictions on Ahmad at all,” Mangini said, per Eric Branch of SFGate.com. Mangini also showered praise on Brooks, saying, “Ahmad has been a guy — throughout the spring and throughout camp — I’ve really been impressed with his work ethic, his toughness, his consistency, his approach in the classroom.”